Digital Knowledge Transfer Through University-Agency Models: Experiential Learning and Social Innovation In Ngo Sustainability

Third-sector organizations in emerging economies face a structural challenge: chronic dependency on state funding combined with limited access to specialized knowledge in digital branding, market strategy, and revenue diversification. This paper presents a university advertising agency model as a mechanism for digital knowledge transfer between a higher education institution and a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on the social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities in Colombia. Using a qualitative case study design grounded in participatory action research, a three-phase intervention was conducted involving market benchmarking, strategic viability workshops, and brand co-creation sessions. The process was carried out collaboratively by undergraduate Digital Media Advertising students, an MBA graduate student, and the NGO’s management team, facilitated by the university’s advertising agency. Results show three concurrent outcomes: (1) a validated economic sustainability model projecting a reduction in state dependency from 85% to 60%; (2) seven digital sub-brand identities for new revenue-generating programs; and (3) evidence of authentic competency development aligned with the DigComp 2.2 framework. The model offers a replicable framework for university-community engagement generating tripartite value: institutional, educational, and social.